As regular readers will know, I was a member of a gym that I used regularly prior to taking part in the campaign as part of my Charity Challenge training regime but this was well timed to coincide with a house move and enabled me not only to try a gym in my new locale but also see if a gym membership would be worth keeping up once I wasn’t in the depths of training.

Both my first and second membership fee analysis posts very definitely pointed to gym membership being good value and providing flexibility for someone on a training programme, even when the preference was for running outside. You can get some really great discounts and offers on membership fees if you look out for them (January and May seem to be popular for these) and some offer guest passes as well as discounts on services you normally have to pay for.

Finances aside, I really recommend gym membership. Gyms have so much to offer, from the standard CV and weights equipment, to classes, swimming pools, court hire, personal training and sometimes the benefit of being able to use multiple centres in the area run by the same company. I found my new gym to be friendly and well equipped, even though it was smaller than my previous one. I was able to use multiple centres and despite being at the tail end of my training, I still used the facilities a good deal.